Security
An initiative aimed at improving intelligence sharing has done little to make the country more secure, despite as much as $1.4 billion in federal spending, according to a two-year examination by Senate investigators. – Washington Post
A flagship Department of Homeland Security initiative produced shoddy intelligence reports that did little to protect the country and generated false leads that may have made it harder to catch terrorists, a congressional investigation found. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The War
Small teams of special operations forces arrived at American embassies throughout North Africa in the months before militants launched the fiery attack that killed the U.S. ambassador in Libya. The soldiers’ mission: Set up a network that could quickly strike a terrorist target or rescue a hostage. – Associated Press
An U.S. appellate court has sided with the 44th administration to extend the stay of a lower court decision last month that could have stopped the Obama administration from detaining some terror suspects indefinitely. – The Hill’s DEFCON Hill
At 44′s direction, the Justice Department purchased a never-opened state prison on Tuesday, cutting a $165-million check to cash-strapped Illinois and bypassing the objections of a powerful Republican congressman who had blocked the sale. – Chicago Tribune
Defense
Interview with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. – Los Angeles Times
Pentagon officials have opted to dump $1.7 million into continued security and counterterrorism training for Iraq’s national security forces despite the austere fiscal outlook facing the department. – The Hill’s DEFCON Hill
With the prospect of a $500 billion dollar cut in defense spending automatically going into effect on January 2 if sequestration is not avoided, the administration is desperate to stop defense companies from sending out WARN notices on what would be the eve of the presidential election. – Fox News
Cyber Security
Law enforcement and national security agencies are investigating the hacking of a White House computer last month that penetrated a network inside the White House Military Office that handles top-secret data, U.S. officials said. – Washington Free Beacon
